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NOXEN — For 35 years, an event in Noxen has embraced a very necessary caveat: “Don’t try this at home.”
The small Wyoming County town is holding its annual Rattlesnake Roundup this weekend, and all the slithering fun is designed to benefit the Noxen Volunteer Fire Company.
Lew Hackling, fire chief for Noxen, said the event is the department’s biggest fundraiser.
“Over the four days, we’ll see between eight and 10,000 people,” Hackling said Saturday. “It helps us maintain and upgrade equipment.”
According to Hackling, the Rattlesnake Roundup usually attracts between 40 and 60 rattlesnake hunters, all licensed by the state Fish and Boat Commission. In the woods around Noxen, they usually catch somewhere around 30 rattlesnakes and about as many non-venomous snakes each year.
Hackling said hunters were allowed to catch rattlesnakes between Saturday and Sunday and bring them to the roundup. The locations of where snakes were caught had to be marked, as the serpents need to be safely returned to their original locations by Monday.
“We have prizes for largest snake caught, biggest rattle, things like that,” Hackling said.
The Rattlesnake Roundup was started in 1972, originally hosted by the Noxen-Monroe Sportsman Association. Noxen firefighters eventually took over the event, and it took on a more educational tone. Besides raising money, the aim is to teach attendees about snakes, including how they live.
“Snakes get a bad rap, and this helps that,” Hackling said.
Even though that might be true, roundup visitors also learned about how to deal with a snake bite — just in case.
Besides the obvious draw of the snakes, the Rattlesnake Roundup features carnival food, vendors and even bounce houses for the kids.
Beth Chocallo, of Sweet Valley, was selling a variety of crafts she made, including wire-art trees and embroidered clothing. Chocallo said she’s been coming to the roundup for years now.
“It was a bit slow Thursday night, but Friday was good,” she said. “And hopefully the weather makes today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) good, too.”
But for Tom Fox, of Wilkes-Barre, the other attractions didn’t matter. For him, it was all about the snakes.
It was the first time Fox had made his way to the roundup, despite being interested in it for years.
“We were trying to find something original to do with the kids,” Fox said, “and ‘Rattlesnake Roundup’ sounded like it had a flare of something original.”
The roundup continues Sunday from 1 to 9:30 p.m., wrapping up with fireworks.
